Until this point, we’ve seen little in the way of gameplay for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Ubisoft was kind enough to give us an extended look at Edward Kenway and his life as a pirate assassin. The trailer gives a close look at your new pirate vessel, the Jackdaw. The open world of Assassin’s Creed IV looks massive with large cities, small islands, and a vast Caribbean to explore. The Jackdaw is a heavy focus of the video showing inclement weather and naval battles taking place all around you. A full fledged battle is shown with Kenway boarding an enemy ship and commandeering crew members from the defunct vessel.

There seems to be a precise focus on bringing the game world to life around you. Tons of animals and ambient weather changes help create an immersive experience. Once again towns and port cities will be bustling with activity as citizens go about their business. You’ll also dock at specific ports to upgrade the Jackdaw. Whaling is necessary to upgrade Kenway’s personal abilities (a feature that was earlier criticized) and available tools of death. Improving both the Jackdaw and Edward will be completely necessary to succeed against the hardest challenges in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.

Dylan splits time between games journalism, designing video games, and playing them. Outside of his deep involvement in the games industry, he enjoys It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Shameless, A Song of Ice and Fire, fitness, and family.